Event-related potentials elicited by errors during the stop-signal task. I. Macaque monkeys

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Science
• Comparative Psychology

Background:

• Event-related potential (ERP) components, error-related negativity (ERN) and positivity (Pe), are linked to performance monitoring in humans.
• Neural signals related to errors have been observed in macaque monkeys, but their homology with human signals is debated.
• Understanding cross-species neural mechanisms of performance monitoring is crucial for advancing cognitive neuroscience.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the presence and characteristics of ERN and Pe components in nonhuman primates during error commission.
• To determine if macaque neural signals associated with errors are homologous to human ERN and Pe.
• To strengthen the link between human and nonhuman primate research on performance monitoring.

Main Methods:

• Monkeys performed a saccadic stop-signal task, allowing for the recording of electrophysiological responses during errors.
• Analysis focused on event-related potential (ERP) waveforms, specifically voltage distributions and current densities.
• Statistical analyses were conducted to rule out stimulus- or response-related artifacts as explanations for the observed signals.

Main Results:

• Monkeys exhibited ERN and Pe components during errors in the saccadic stop-signal task.
• The voltage distributions and current densities of these macaque ERN and Pe components closely resembled those observed in humans.
• Error-related electrophysiological signals in monkeys were not attributable to confounding stimulus or response artifacts.

Conclusions:

• This study demonstrates functional homologues of the human ERN and Pe in macaque monkeys.
• The findings provide crucial evidence supporting the cross-species homology of neural mechanisms underlying performance monitoring.
• This research serves as a key bridge, facilitating comparative studies on the neural basis of cognitive control.